what do FedEx pilots do all day?

Badger

Badger

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Badger
Every morning around 8am a FedEx plane arrives at my home airport; and it departs again around 8pm (presumably back to Memphis)

question: what do the pilots do all day while the plane is being unloaded/loaded? Are they really just paid for the two flights each day?
 
ok - you can answer your own question -

You've been awake from 6p to 6a flying stuff to dark airports making multiple stops and flying multiple legs in all sorts of darkness, fog and crappy but smooth weather . . .

What would you be doing before you had to go back to work at 6p that night?

Strips clubs and bars on $8 an hour does not come to mind
 
Badger said:
Every morning around 8am a FedEx plane arrives at my home airport; and it departs again around 8pm (presumably back to Memphis)

question: what do the pilots do all day while the plane is being unloaded/loaded? Are they really just paid for the two flights each day?
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Feeder flights to smaller markets (do they still run Grand Caravans for that?) will probably do a few hops before meeting up at the end of a spoke.

But as to the spoke flights themselves, I would be inclined to think that the pilot(s) live at or near the end of the spoke. When they land in the morning they go home and sleep like any other night shift worker. Maybe they coach their kids' baseball or soccer team in the afternoon before they leave for work again in the evening. As one of their pilots once put it, "Contrary to what Top Gun told everyone, flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog **** out of Hong Kong isn't such a bad job."
 
DJTorrente said:
...I would be inclined to think that the pilot(s) live at or near the end of the spoke. When they land in the morning they go home and sleep like any other night shift worker. Maybe they coach their kids' baseball or soccer team in the afternoon before they leave for work again in the evening. As one of their pilots once put it, "Contrary to what Top Gun told everyone, flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog **** out of Hong Kong isn't such a bad job."
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well then if they live at the end of the spoke, what do they do all night? They probably arrive in Memphis around 11pm and depart 5:30am.

In other words, are they really just doing the two flights a day?
 
comanchepilot said:
ok - you can answer your own question -

You've been awake from 6p to 6a flying stuff to dark airports making multiple stops and flying multiple legs in all sorts of darkness, fog and crappy but smooth weather . . .

What would you be doing before you had to go back to work at 6p that night?

Strips clubs and bars on $8 an hour does not come to mind
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I should have been more specific (see post above) I was referring to the 'spoke' flights; not the smaller caravan/hopper routes.
 
Then there are the less fortunate who get to spend the day in the company apartment at the outstation.

Edit: Disregard since I see you were not referring to the small feeders.
 
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Badger said:
Every morning around 8am a FedEx plane arrives at my home airport; and it departs again around 8pm (presumably back to Memphis)

question: what do the pilots do all day while the plane is being unloaded/loaded? Are they really just paid for the two flights each day?
Click to expand...

Badger said:
well then if they live at the end of the spoke, what do they do all night? They probably arrive in Memphis around 11pm and depart 5:30am.

In other words, are they really just doing the two flights a day?
Click to expand...

Badger said:
I should have been more specific (see post above) I was referring to the 'spoke' flights; not the smaller caravan/hopper routes.
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First of all, not sure whether you are referring to a mainline FedEx airplane (B757, MD10/11, B767, B777, A300/310) or a feeder aircraft ( ATR, Caravan).

A typical night starts at 6 to 8 pm, involves a couple of legs inbound to the sort (Memphis, Indianapolis, Newark, etc) then the airplane waits while the cargo is offloaded, resorted and reloaded. This can be a couple of hours or as long as 5. While waiting the crews can sleep, watch TV, work online, etc.

Then the crews head out to an outbound destination, again maybe one or two legs. They arrive early AM and go to a hotel to enter a rest period.

The feeder crews typically await the mainline jets, when the jet lands they get their cargo and proceed to their destination. Again, their layover is during the day, they await till the evening, load up and head back to meet up with the jet and offload the cargo. Their night turn is the same as the mainline.
 
thanks for the insight! It sounds demanding, but stable
 
RotorAndWing said:
Trust me, FedEx pilots make way more than "$8 an hour". :rolleyes2:

Even the feeder pilots are well paid.
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The problem is most of the sub-caravan sized airplane are contract pilots . . . . using local subs . . . . FDX does not all of its own flying!

Same with UPS . . .
 
comanchepilot said:
The problem is most of the sub-caravan sized airplane are contract pilots . . . . using local subs . . . . FDX does not all of its own flying!

Same with UPS . . .
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Interestingly, Fedex owns the Caravans, but the flights are operated by folks such as Wiggins, Empire, Mountain Air Cargo, etc. They're not bad jobs, but certainly a far cry from being on with the mainline carrier.

EDIT: wait, sub-caravan? Does Fedex deal with aircraft smaller than Caravans (aside from Alaska)?
 
The one FedEx pilot I know spends most of his time in his hanger polishing the multitude of vintage aircraft he owns.
 
Brad Z said:
Interestingly, Fedex owns the Caravans, but the flights are operated by folks such as Wiggins, Empire, Mountain Air Cargo, etc. They're not bad jobs, but certainly a far cry from being on with the mainline carrier.

EDIT: wait, sub-caravan? Does Fedex deal with aircraft smaller than Caravans (aside from Alaska)?
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FedEx owns most of it's feed aircraft. They do contract out to companies who provide the aircraft in a few locations, but its few & far between. 90% of FedEx feed is on C208 and ATR42/72.

UPS (and DHL for that matter) doesn't own any of its feed aircraft, the contracted companies do it. As such, there is much more variety in the size of the planes used. And a wide variety of companies do the work.

Small feed jobs aren't bad, as long as you aren't flying in/out of the sort facility. Once you get to small feed at the sort, you're on the same terrible schedule the real UPS/FedEx pilots are on, without nearly the money.
 
Old Geek said:
The one FedEx pilot I know spends most of his time in his hanger polishing the multitude of vintage aircraft he owns.
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Exactly. The ones I know race their BMWs on the track, ride Harleys all over the country, and fly their private airplanes around during their spare time.
 
What do they do all day ? Well, when they're not sleeping they're busy counting the wheelbarrows full of cash they get paid ? Guys hauling boxes make more than guys hauling sheeple. Go figure !
 
Art VanDelay said:
What do they do all day ? Well, when they're not sleeping they're busy counting the wheelbarrows full of cash they get paid ? Guys hauling boxes make more than guys hauling sheeple. Go figure !
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On time delivery of air packages is more important than on time delivery of people.
 
Badger said:
until the drones take over delivery
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You know I think that's a pretty accurate observation. It only makes sense that automation will be first applied to the cargo operators. First, by eliminating one of the pilots then after that proves to be successful eliminating both of the pilots.
 
Badger said:
Every morning around 8am a FedEx plane arrives at my home airport; and it departs again around 8pm (presumably back to Memphis)

question: what do the pilots do all day while the plane is being unloaded/loaded? Are they really just paid for the two flights each day?
Click to expand...

Sleep, and yes.
 
I played golf with one, all his flying was basically at night, he loved it.
 
Art VanDelay said:
What do they do all day ? Well, when they're not sleeping they're busy counting the wheelbarrows full of cash they get paid ? Guys hauling boxes make more than guys hauling sheeple. Go figure !
Click to expand...

Perfect sense, the cargo makes more money.
 
My good buddy is in the MD-11 for them. He loves it. It's hard on the body, and I don't envy his work environment, but I certainly envy his paycheck and all the toys that come from it. :)
 
If you are talking the feeder aircraft... I used to do that. I'd land in Virginia Highlands (after flying a few legs) in the morning, sit most of the day and fly the run in reverse at night. I'd wash airplanes at VJI for some extra money, go to the library, go hiking, go biking, hang out in the FBO, etc.
 
Art VanDelay said:
What do they do all day ? Well, when they're not sleeping they're busy counting the wheelbarrows full of cash they get paid ? Guys hauling boxes make more than guys hauling sheeple. Go figure !
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True, but it is definitely not for everybody.

I have a friend who left a well paying FedEx gig for the right seat of a Delta MD-80 and he has said on a few occasions that he has no regrets.
 
comanchepilot said:
ok - you can answer your own question -

You've been awake from 6p to 6a flying stuff to dark airports making multiple stops and flying multiple legs in all sorts of darkness, fog and crappy but smooth weather . . .

What would you be doing before you had to go back to work at 6p that night?

Strips clubs and bars on $8 an hour does not come to mind
Click to expand...



As a buddy who drives trains for a living, on another messed up type of work schedule told me, they don't pay us for the job, they pay us for ruining our home life and for the inability to have a "normal" life.

Train Drivers (under old contracts) and FedEx pilots make good wages.
 
Zeldman said:
What is the approximate time frame to get to that level?
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I think my buddy has been there around 15 years. I'll have to ask, but that's pretty close. He went to FedEx straight from the Air Force. Not sure exactly what he makes, as we've never talked about it, but I'd bet $300K is in the ballpark.
 
Zeldman said:
What is the approximate time frame to get to that level?
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12 years at the airline, plus whatever time you need to get to that level. Not speaking about FedEx, but UPS hired pilots this year for the first time since before the economy took a dump.
 
RotorAndWing said:
FedEx
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Zeldman said:
What is the approximate time frame to get to that level?
Click to expand...

kayoh190 said:
I think my buddy has been there around 15 years. I'll have to ask, but that's pretty close. He went to FedEx straight from the Air Force. Not sure exactly what he makes, as we've never talked about it, but I'd bet $300K is in the ballpark.
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The link above shows 15 years as the top of the pay scale.

Interesting link provided by RotorAndWing.
 
It's also of note to point out that not all of FedEx's schedules are at night. As you get more seniority you can hold daytime trips on the international legs.
 
Umm ... they get married?!

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Badger said:
Every morning around 8am a FedEx plane arrives at my home airport; and it departs again around 8pm (presumably back to Memphis)

question: what do the pilots do all day while the plane is being unloaded/loaded? Are they really just paid for the two flights each day?
Click to expand...

We usually work a week on week off schedule. Fly in to the hub, sit during the sort, fly outbound. Sleep till 1 or 2 PM if you're lucky, eat, maybe work out, nap, shower, repeat as necessary. Usually fly 2 to 4 legs a night domestically. I average 45 hours a month.

Most guys are laying over in the hotel. A few can bid trips to the cities they live in but they are in the minority.
 
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